The city of Chur becomes an open-air gallery for three days.
Street artists want to make people think. Their pictures are designed to be seen by many people.
In Chur, people stop and look up at the walls. Many pull out their smartphones and take photos. 14 so-called “murals” have been created in the last few days – or are still being created. “Murals” are large-scale images on house walls. They are applied using various techniques.
Legend:
A “mural” by the Swiss artist “Onur” in collaboration with the “Schwarzmaler”, who also comes from Switzerland.
SRF/Valentina De Vos
The street art festival has invited 56 artists. Most come from Switzerland, others from Italy, China, the Netherlands or Korea.
The walls were made available by the house owners. Although street art began with illegal actions, the images are now popular in many cities. “You can improve the city through art, develop it and make it more lively,” says curator and art historian Tania Di Brita, who has studied street art intensively.
Which wall is painted can also have an influence on the picture. In terms of dimensions, but also in terms of content. Tania Di Brita points to the picture of a young girl with lots of packages around her. It decorates the house opposite the post office. “That could be a clue.”
Legend:
“Mural” by the artist duo “Telmo Miel” from the Netherlands.
Curator of the Street Art Festival
What else catches the street art expert’s eye: the bright colors. And the subject matter: the packages, the young woman’s golden hair bow and the two hats and the sneakers on the young man’s head. “It reminds me of consumerism,” she says.
It is often not clear what the artists want to say with their pictures. But that is part of it. Tania Di Brita says: “The artists want to make people think.” And if you follow the work of a particular artist for a longer period of time, you will get to know his intentions over time.